Farm Bill Conservation Success Stories

Conservationists are finding innovative finding ways to leverage Farm Bill conservation programs to benefit fish and wildlife across our country. Here are some Success Stories to inspire you:

• Farmers Combat Climate Change through Conservation Programs: 

Farmers and ranchers are using USDA conservation programs to help them water livestock with solar power, store carbon in the soil while creating wildlife habitat, and produce milk using much less energy.

• Maintaining Benefits of Expiring CRP:

As contracts on millions of acres of Conservation Reserve Program land expire, efforts are underway to maintain many of the soil, water and wildlife benefits on the land by making the transition to well-managed grazing systems.

• Leveraging Farm Bill Conservation Programs to Combat Climate Change:  

USDA conservation programs provide more than $4 billion per year for conservation on America's farms and ranches, but they could be doing even more in the fight against climate change.

• Saving the Chesapeake Bay While Conserving Rare Birds:  

In Pennsylvania,  over 172,000 acres of cropland has been converted to grass buffers that keep nutrients and chemicals out of the Chesapeake Bay while providing habitat for rare grassland birds.

• Farm Conservation Programs Help Implement State Wildlife Plans:  

Nebraska and Missouri are two states using USDA working lands programs to put in place wildlife-friendly farm and ranch practices that their State Wildlife Plans say will benefit fish and wildlife.

• Restoring Longleaf Pine and Warm-Season Grass:   

A regional USDA initiative benefits wildlife by restoring longleaf pine trees and the warm-season grasses needed to keep the forests healthy.